The argument turned ugly when Mayank asked them to leave the dhaba. One of them then took out a pistol and shot at Mayank. The bullet hit his chest and he collapsed on the ground.

An argument broke out over which way the cooler should face when one person took out a pistol and shot 23-year-old Mayank. (HT FILE (For representation only))

A father-son duo was shot dead by four men after an argument over an air cooler at a roadside eatery in south-west Delhi’s Najafgarh area on Wednesday night.

Shyam (52) and Mayank (23), the owners of the eatery, were at the cash counter when four men came on bikes and ordered food around 9.30pm. They were served on a table on the roadside.

One of them, who was feeling hot, reportedly turned the air cooler towards his table but Mayank objected, saying the other customers will feel hot.

“Mayank said that if he turns the entire vent to himself, the other customers will feel hot. He asked the men to shift their table but they refused. This led to an argument and the men insisted on turning the cooler to where they were sitting,” a senior police officer said.

The argument turned ugly when Mayank asked them to leave the dhaba. One of them then took out a pistol and shot at Mayank. The bullet hit his chest and he collapsed on the ground.

Shyam (52) and Mayank (23), the owners of the eatery, were at the cash counter when four men came on bikes and ordered food around 9.30pm

Hearing the gunshot, his father Shyam came out and as he tried to catch hold of them, he too was shot.

“The men shot Mayank and Shyam. They left the men bleeding at the spot and fled. A customer called the police. The injured men were rushed to the hospital where they died during treatment,” a senior police officer said.

“We have sent their bodies for a postmortem examination and their family has been informed,” he said.

In a statement, an eyewitness told the police that the men fired two rounds, one at Mayank and other at Shyam, and fled the spot. The police registered a case of murder and have begun investigation.

“We have identified the men and are raiding their possible hideouts to make the arrests. They are from the area and will soon be arrested. Further investigation is on,” a police officer said.